MEDWAY - The Board of Health approved a series of updated tobacco regulations that included raising the minimum age required to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21.

Voters in May approved the change in a non-binding referendum vote – 479 to 252.

Since the question was non-binding, the board scheduled a public hearing for Monday, but no residents came in time to give their opinion.

Chairman Michael Heavey said he wanted to gather input from the town, even after voters approved the change.

"I don’t like to step on people’s rights and thoughts without at least asking or polling them," Heavey said.

Lester Hartman, a Westwood pediatrician who has been asking health boards throughout the state to raise the age to 21, suggested striking out the word "minor" from the proposed text, which was defined as anyone under the age of 21.

"If (an 18-year-old) can serve (in the military), vote and be sentenced to death, they should be allowed to drink; and it’s the same with smoking," he said.

In addition to the change in age, the board passed other regulations to keep up with state law, including some that date back to 2000 and are not in line with the Smoke-Free Workplace law enacted in 2004.

One current town regulation states that no person shall smoke or be permitted to smoke in a restaurant. However, state law prohibits smoking in all workplaces, including hotels and motels, where secondhand smoke is not currently regulated in Medway.

As well as banning smoking in hotels and motels, other approved regulations pursuant to the state law include: banning cigar and hookah bars; placing 25-feet buffer zones around municipal buildings; banning smoking in town parks, playgrounds, fields and beaches; banning smoking in outdoor areas of restaurants, bars and taverns, and bus and taxi waiting areas.

The new regulations would also ban the use of e-cigarettes and any "tobacco delivery products" in those locations.

Pharmacies are also prohibited from selling tobacco products.

The new regulations will go into effect in 60 days.

In other news, the board held a public hearing on proposed regulations regarding head injures in youth sports, but a contingent of nine youth sports advocates, volunteers and coaches said the regulations are too harsh and would deter volunteers from coaching.

The board decided to hold off on the regulations and agreed to use comment from the coaches and volunteers on a revised version.

Zachary Comeau can be reached at 508-634-7556 and zcomeau@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZComeau_MDN.